Big News About Joburg's Newest Inner City Development
This week I got a behind-the-scenes look at No. One Eloff, an exciting new development project in downtown Joburg.

No. One Eloff is a huge, 1950s-era building that used to be an automotive storage/sales facility (for Rolls Royce and then for Chrysler) and later became an OK Bazaar and then an auction house for repossessed cars. A couple of years ago, a company called Molten Black purchased the building, with the plan of turning it into a residential/retail property. That plan is now in full swing.
This building, which was basically a huge garage when Molten Black bought it, has been converted into an apartment building with 300 loft-style apartments. These apartments, which target young South Africans earning in the range of R10,000 to R15,000 (roughly $650-$1000) per month, are now for rent and the building is already about half occupied.





No. One Eloff and Joziburg Lane
In addition to the residential apartments, No. One Eloff is going to include office space, artists’ studios, and a multifaceted retail complex on the lower floors, including: bargain shops; upscale stores; events space; and (most exciting for me) a wide variety of food, coffee, and other edible offerings. Visitors will browse the dining and retail offerings via a private, open-air alleyway, to be named Joziburg Lane. Joziburg Lane will include (among other things) middle-to-high-end dining and deli stalls, a bar, and a mezzanine-level seating area where people can eat and look down on the action.



Joziburg Lane will be run by Gerald Garner, of JoburgPlaces and previously of the Sheds @1Fox. If you spend any time at all in the Jozi inner city, then you probably know Gerald through his guide books or his walking tours or his presence at 1Fox. There is no greater advocate than Gerald for living, working, and having fun in downtown Joburg, and his involvement in this project pretty much guarantees non-stop Joburgian-style excitement at No. One Eloff.

Another look at the outside of No. One Eloff.

I had a long chat with Gerald and Geoff about their plans for No. One Eloff and their thoughts on what makes this project different from other urban regeneration projects in downtown Joburg. And as I walked around, I felt myself getting excited and forming thoughts of my own. I think it’s best to save those thoughts for later, once Joziburg Lane and the rest of the retail space starts to open.
The Joziburg Lane Festival
By the way, despite the chaos in these photos, Joziburg Lane will open soon. The Joziburg Lane Festival is scheduled for the last weekend of May, and more pop-up events are planned throughout the winter until the project’s full-scale opening on 1 August. Follow Joziburg Lane on Facebook to stay on top of things. If you’re interested in opening a stall at Joziburg Lane, contact Koketso at [email protected] or Gerald at [email protected].
If you’re looking to rent an affordable apartment in downtown Joburg, or if you’re looking for retail, office, or studio space, contact No. One Eloff now.
I’ll have more to say about No. One Eloff and Joziburg Lane in a future post.
interesting stuff happening in Jozi.
I love all these pockets of exciting developments in Jozi and can’t wait for the opening of this one.
I know, things are starting to come together in the CBD!
I cannot get over how colorful the buildings are in Joburg. They are completely different from our grey buildings – alive with character – and the architecture seems avant garde also. Is it culturally typical, or merely a unique attribute of the city?
I could be mistaken, but I think the colored buildings are a relatively new thing in Joburg. It’s something that started to happen over the last decade or so, as buildings have started to be ‘reclaimed’ after the total breakdown in the city centre in the 1990s and 2000s. At least that’s my theory. I agree though - it’s awesome.
Depends at which time period one looks at, during the height of the CBD, the old Victorian buildings where actually really colourful. I have lived in J’oburg all my life, and I have finally found a site that showcases us not as an example of urban blight but rather rejuvenation light!
I’m glad you found your way here!
I’m excited and I don’t even live there. What a creative and magnificent space! Looks like urban planning done right!
I think so too. I can’t wait for everything to open.